11th - 12th December - For They Are The Knights of Summer, and Winter is Coming

While most of the UK north of the A4 endured some heavy snowfall, and the usual British reluctance to want to deal with it (I know, it took 5 hours to drive home from Cambridge on Sunday!), Four Marks was a relative oasis of slightly warmer weather and rainfall.  This though changed on Monday morning when we awoke to snowfall and a carpet of white.  Not all of Hampshire was carpeted, our elevation contributing to the change to snow.  The colder temperatures and snow fall had an immediate effect on the birds ion the garden, with the winter's first Blackcap turning up, a female with a taste for the apples spiked in the tree.

It was very gloomy and not the ideal photography conditions, shooting through the windows too did not help.  The Blackcap stuck around for most of the morning, alternating between the tree and the ground where she would sneak in around the Blackbirds that were guarding the apples, to feed on them.  The fallen seed was also to her liking.

 As ever there were plenty of Goldfinches about, but for the first time I can recall, early on there were eight Siskins present, four males and four females, and for a while these outnumbered the Goldfinches on the feeders.

As they flit around the feeders scolding each other if they get too close the flashes of yellow remind me of the American Goldfinches we used to get on the deck in New Jersey at this time of year.

The males resplendent with their black caps and bright lemony green bodies, while the females are a little drabber, yet still standing out against the white snowfall.

 Our resident Blackbird was about, and came with the Robins to the tray for the worms first thing, I was tempted to put plenty out, but we only had a few left, so it was rations.  The Blackbird though was joined but many others, at one time their were eight males and a few females moving about in the garden, several protecting the apples I had thrown out.  Fights break out as they come to close, you have to wonder why the expend such energy when there is plenty of food to go around.

When all this is going on the resident Blackbird is dominant, but still will allow the Robin close by, however it must be one particular Robin, as we get three, and I have seen it chase away other Robins.  

This is one of the new Blackbirds visiting the garden, told apart by the dark and dirty bill, maybe a continental visitor, its hard to tell.

 As always there are Tits coming and going.  The most numerous were the Blue Tits with up to six at any one time.  They use all the different feeders, taking their food deep into the protection of the trees.  However they were also scouring the leylandi hedge, and finding little morsels, probably spiders to eat.

They were not alone in the hedge, the chirps of House Sparrows could be heard, and there were brief glimpses of a Wren and Goldcrest, as they followed the behaviour of the Blue Tits.

A pair of Great Tits turned up, preferring to go straight to the trays full of seed than hang on the feeders.

Coal Tits, too were about, two at anyone one time, still operating the "smash and grab" approach with the feeders, fly in, grab a seed and quickly return to the cover of the branches to eat it.

Occasionally though coming out into the open to allow a better shot.

Then the party of Long-tailed Tits came through, constantly calling, and turning the feeders into towers of fluffy feathers.

The high intense activity of the morning started to abate, the garden falling quiet.  with the silence it was possible to hear the contact calls of Redwing once again.  However unlike last week they were now much more brasher, hunger winning out over shyness, and the berries across the road were just far too much to ignore, and they could be seen moving through the tree devouring the berries.

They can still though disappear into the bush, mainly by sitting very still, and holding the head up they blend into the branches and leaves, only giving themselves away as the pull a berry off the branch and swallow it.

Slowly the snow started to ease, the skies brightened and every so often the glimpse of a brighter light in the sky.  Away to the west was a stretch of blue sky, a sign of the cold night to come.  Away to the south west the sun was setting, and the air became very cold.

The birds disappeared to roost for what was to be a very cold night.

Just before dawn the next day, the sky takes on a pinkish hue, that contrasts so well with the whites and grey of the clouds, trees and remaining snowfall.  The temperature had fallen to a round minus six degrees, as a result I had to turn off the waterfall in the garden pond, there was little water about.  

It must be a shock to those first year birds, I wonder what they think as the temperature falls, what tells them to ensure they stay warm.  It is amazing, and a testimony to that wonderful creation, the feather that they can get through such a cold night, such small birds, but there they were at first light, the activity quite frantic as they searched everywhere for food.

This morning though the sun was rising, and once the frantic search for food eased a little the birds started to move up in the branches to take in some of the sun's winter warmth.  here a female Chaffinch

 
 And a Goldfinch.

One or two Redwings were coming in to the garden to catch the sunshine, the sun's rays yet to reach the berry tree.  At first tucked down in the branches

 
 Here the white frost on the branches doesn't hide them as well.

 Then moving to a more open vantage point in the full sun.

 A really strikingly beautifully marked bird, again probably overlooked.

Siskin numbers were up once again on yesterday, this time I counted at least twelve birds at one time, a record for the garden.  They favour the sunflower seeds, and will also pick up the seed from below the feeders.

The males looking superb in the bright lights, a result of the low sunshine and the surrounding snow.

 As the sun rose slowly, so did some of the tempers around the feeders.  As is always their way the Starlings were very vocal and demonstrative.  At first they chuckle away, the sun catching the petrol blues and greens behind the white spots of their winter plumage.

 
 But the disputes are about presence of birds on feeders, and it seems the time they spend.  This Starling was trying to make a point, quietly at first.

 Then a little more aggressively, squawking and flapping wings.

Then finally flying at the other bird, and forcing it off the feeder, and engaging in a fully on fight that took them up into the air, and using up energy in an unnecessary way, there is plenty to go around.

 Blackbirds were present in numbers once again.  Our tame bird had arrived at first light for its worms, and had guarded a few apples later in the morning, but after awhile he will move away.  I managed to catch him sitting on the roof next door in the sunshine.  It would seem though that some of his feathers are a little tatty once again.

 
 The Robins too were about and as a result there were plenty of chases and confrontations.  This Robin staring down another close by.

Rooks and Jackdaws were also seen flying around, but they never come into the garden, or attempt to take food from the garden.  This Rook was busy calling across the gardens.

 And where there are Rooks there is nearly always a Jackdaw nearby

The female Blackcap appeared too, this time preferring to feed beneath the sunflower feeders where the Siskins and Goldfinches had dropped the seed.

Not sure if she is looking up, or looking down!

By now the sun had reached the tree with the berries on, and the Redwings had returned to gorge themselves.

 A very nice Christmas card scene.

And plenty of opportunities to catch them devouring berries.

It was a shame though that this year was not a Waxwing winter, as I always feel this tree would be perfect, unfortunately they never come.  Still the Redwings are still very impressive.

And this is how they can melt into the branches.

Berries need a lot of rest to digest.

As the day drew to a close, the temperature started to rise, and clouds began to roll in from the west.  The forecast was for the temperature to increase overnight, and for some rain.  All the snow will be gone, and it will seem to be a different world.  For now though the Starlings were gathering in the trees, here a count of 45, nothing special.  For them its still looks like a cold night ahead, they will get a nice surprise later in the night!

Winters here!